TEMPE — There’s a saying around the world of professional football that defense wins championships.
The Arizona Cardinals have certainly committed to that line of thought this offseason.
The Cardinals brought in notable free agents such as outside linebacker Josh Sweat and defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson prior to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Through the first three rounds of draft festivities, the Cardinals have used each of their first three picks on the defensive side of the ball – the first time in over 30 years Arizona has done such a feat.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was pretty amped.
“He [Ossenfort] gave him [Rallis] a bigger hug than when he hired me. He’s excited,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon after Day 2 of the draft finished.
The Cardinals spent their first-round pick on Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolen, who provides athletic upside and the ability to pressure the quarterback off the interior.
“Disruption. We’ve talked about it a lot. We wanted to have a more disruptive defensive unit. We think we’ve added players that can help us do that,” Ossenfort said on the selection of Nolen.
“When we find players that can affect the middle of the pocket, it puts a lot of stress on the offense. Walter is another guy that we think can help us do that, and we’re really excited to add him to our team.”
READ: Walter Nolen Addresses Character Concerns
The Cardinals then opted to beef up the secondary after drafting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who took a massive slide due to worries on a knee injury he suffered in college.
“I’m on a mission now,” Johnson told reporters after being drafted. “That definitely woke me up, for sure.”
Day 2 finished with Oregon edge rusher Jordan Burch, who was taken in the third round and still believes his best football is ahead of him.
“With the injuries at Oregon, there were some things I could have fulfilled, being able to get on the field and do. But the sky’s the limit, I’m going to keep going. I feel like a lot of people haven’t seen all I can do. I feel like at this next level, I’m going to be able to show it,” he told reporters.
Last year the Cardinals’ defense finished as roughly average overall in major statistics, and admittedly so the unit as a whole did take a step forward from 2023 under Rallis.
The choice to add all three defensive players wasn’t intentional, according to Ossenfort – though it’s tough to not to see the evident effort to improve that side of the ball.
And perhaps rightfully so, as the Cardinals’ pursuit of postseason dreams can only be amplified with a stout defense on all three levels.
Arizona’s sent a clear message through this offseason – upgrading the defense was not only a priority – it was a necessity.
So far, so good in the desert.